Yesterday, in beautiful, historic Waco, Texas, I did my 18th bike rally of the year and my 490th overall. I'm almost halfway to my goal of 1,000 rallies. (I've been at it since September 1989.) I did my first Waco Wild West Century in 1989. I missed two Waco rallies along the way in order to go to other (closer) rallies, so I've done 20 of the past 22. I did the 100-mile route many times, but for the past two years I've done the 100-kilometer route.
Phil and Randy went to Hillsboro yesterday so they could sleep an extra hour (the wimps), while Julius, Marc, and Troy probably went to Bonham, which is closer to their homes. Joe, his son Jason, and our friend Mike showed up in Waco. It was storming at my house when I rose at 5:00, so I feared that I would end up riding in the rain; but the rain stopped about 15 miles south of my house. The road was clear and dry all the way to Waco (94 miles). Better yet, there was no rain during the ride. In fact, it was quite pleasant, with the sun peeking through the clouds from time to time. The wind was light and the temperature perfect. About the only thing I would have changed is the humidity. But hey, who's complaining?
Jason and Mike did the 50-mile route, so they were with us only for a while. Joe and I did a 13-mile loop along country lanes before meeting Jason at the Mars candy factory. Mike had gone in alone. The three of us took it easy to the finish, stopping a couple of times for refreshments. Jason is riding well for a 15-year-old. Like father, like son. I expect him to be dropping us in a couple of years, once he builds his endurance and acquires better bike-handling skills. Riding in packs is dangerous—but also, as I think most rally riders will agree, enjoyable.
I left Joe and Jason near the end, when it appeared that my average speed would fall below 17 miles per hour. The wind, while not stiff, was directly in my face, and I was getting tired. My computer showed "17.0" when I shut it off at my car, but when I calculated my average speed later, I discovered that it was 16.98 miles per hour (for 67.59 miles). Damn! Had I known I wasn't going to make it, I'd have waited for Joe and Jason. My maximum speed for the day was only 27.9 miles per hour. That's the average speed in some professional races! I burned 3,774 calories during the ride. My average heart rate was 100 and my maximum 148. Perhaps next year I will ride hard and try for a high average speed. Sometimes I feel like hammering and sometimes I just want to have fun.
I saw a disturbing thing during the rally. A man had built a four-inch wide platform on his crosstube for his poodle. The dog was tied to the handlebars by its collar and had to stand on the platform under the man's chest the entire way. When the man passed me at 22 miles per hour (we were in a fast-moving pack), the dog looked nervous and afraid. I would be, too! Joe and I agreed that this was irresponsible conduct on the part of the man. He'd have to be an idiot to think the dog got anything out of the bike ride, and he was risking the dog's life. I don't even want to imagine what would happen if the dog slipped off the platform.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 